This Timeless Jacket Is the Transitional Cover-Up That Always Gets Us Excited for Autumn

The whiplash from going to heatwave temperatures to this week's drizzle might have been felt most keenly in your wardrobe. And while there's technically still a month to go of summer, we confess that greyer skies have got us thinking about knitwear, boots and, naturally, outerwear. If there's one piece that will help you make the move from summer to autumn (while planting a seed of excitement for the season ahead), it's a suede jacket.

Although the best suede jackets can be worn year-round, it's safe to say they come into their own in autumn; layered over chunky jumpers and, in the case of shearling-lined styles, as a trusty outdoor companion through the colder months, too.

All this to say: now is the perfect time to invest in a great suede jacket, and you can do so safe in the knowledge that it is destined to become one your most-worn and best-loved pieces of autumn 2026. In fact, the sooner you invest, the sooner you can start reducing its cost-per-wear... (Just make sure your jacket is treated with suede protector spray well in advance to keep it looking fresh in our unpredictable weather conditions.)

Like a denim jacket, the suede jacket is something of shape-shifter that means it can be dressed up or down or really with anything in your wardrobe. Alexa Chung likes to slip hers over an everyday uniform of a grey jumper, jeans and patent ballet flats, but you could team it with a sequinned column dress or a demure pleated skirt. Max Mara's AW26 collection included an oversized suede jacket that was coupled with scrunched thigh-high boots. It can be casual, it can be "out-out", the sky is the limit (although, again, do spray it liberally in case the skies do decide to open...).

While there are suede jackets for every style personality, two main schools of thought seem to have emerged when it comes to cut. The first is a single-breasted jacket that's almost a "shacket" (a cross between a shirt and jacket), which has a minimal vibe that would suit checked shirts, boot-leg jeans and scrunched loafers. The second riffs on the funnel-neck trend that hit earlier this year, with high-necked suede jackets that usually have a cropped or bomber-like silhouette.

This season's suede jackets range from the expected shades—browns and greens that complement an autumnal colour palette—to an out-of-the-blue, well, cobalt. Zara's suede jacket might not seem like the most timeless investment, or the most wearable, but imagine it buttoned over a tomato red turtleneck or, equally, the most basic of your basic white T-shirts? With a jacket this loud, the rest of your outfit can take the day off—and that sounds like the ease into autumn we all might need...

Tempted to wave goodbye to summer in a suede jacket? We've curated a list of the best to shop now, and wear for the foreseeable...

Shop The Best Suede Jackets